How Much Is Enough Weight to Lose? Setting the Right Goal Weight

When you set out on a diet, you should begin with the end in mind.  But how do you know what an appropriate weight is for your body?  In this chapter you’ll learn how to determine the best goal weight for you.

You need to strike a balance between being optimistic, realistic, and most importantly healthy.  Many people have no idea where to even start.  But it’s a good idea to begin with taking a look at your history.

Your Body’s History

Many people who weight over 200 pounds dream of being 115 pounds.  That may be a realistic goal, but it may not.  The first thing to do is take a look at your body’s timeline.  The easiest way to do this is to get out the family photos.

Make a timeline of yourself from the time you were a very small child until the present day.  It doesn’t have to be perfectly accurate, but do your best to come up with accurate dates to put the photographs in order.

If you can remember, make a note of the weight that you are in each picture.  If you can’t remember, that’s okay, too.  You can probably estimate just by looking at your pictures.  The main thing you need to do right now is establish a pattern.

Have you been heavy ever since you were a small child?  Did you gain weight later in life?  This information will help you to go about setting a realistic goal for your body.  It’s not that you can’t weight whatever you dream of, it’s just that you need to be clear about your own body.

If you’ve never been a size 6, it may be that your body wasn’t meant to be a size 6.  For some people, it’s perfectly healthy to be a size 12.  In fact, for some people a size 12 is healthier than a size 6 could ever be.

BMI

Another number to take a look at is your BMI, or body mass index.  This is a number that health professionals use to determine how much you should weigh based on your height.  It’s actually a complicated formula turned into something simple.

One thing to keep in mind is that the BMI is not a perfect number.  Many people shoot for unrealistic goal weights based on the BMI.  It should only be used as a guideline to help you determine a goal weight, but it’s not set in stone.

In general, a BMI score of 18.5-25 is considered a healthy weight based on your height.  From 25-30 is considered overweight, and above 30 is considered obese.  Below 18.5 is considered underweight. 

There are many online BMI calculators you can use for free.  They’ll ask you to input your height and weight and then they will crunch out your BMI.  In addition, they’ll also tell you what your ideal weight range is.  You can add 10% to the top number and still not be overweight.

Remember to take this number with a grain of salt, however.  While it’s the standard used in medical practices it isn’t perfect.  You’ll also need to take into account your body type and your age. 

Once you’ve determined the BMI number that’s appropriate for your height and age, you can use that number as a guideline to help you make a goal weight.  Remember, though, that this number isn’t perfect.  In fact, for some people the BMI is much too low for their actual body.

Take the Plan into Account

With the hCG diet, you also need to think about the limitations of the actual plan.  For example, you may have 100 pounds to lose, but you can only lose up to 40 pounds in a single cycle of the diet. 

Instead of trying to set a goal to lose 100 pounds, you might want to start smaller.  It’s also important to remember that some people only lose half a pound a day on the diet.  That means that while many people can lose 40 or more pounds the first cycle, not everyone does.

With the hCG diet, you also need to remember that you have to follow the plan to the letter.  If you don’t, you won’t have the kind of weight loss results you seek.  But if you’re losing at a slow rate even following the plan perfectly, there’s not much you can do to speed things up.

You certainly can’t eat fewer calories or exercise with the program.  In other words, you may have to be more patient than you’d like while you’re following the hCG diet.  In fact, before you set a short-term weight loss goal, you may want to go ahead with the first cycle.

This way you can see how your body will respond the course of hormone and calorie restriction.  You can use this as a benchmark to set goals for the rest of your diet program as you lose until you reach your final goal.

Don’t Set the Bar Too Low

If your goal is to weigh 110 pounds, but you haven’t weighed that since junior high, you may need to rethink your goal.  Some people set weight loss goals that are just simply unattainable for them. 

You’ll have more success if you have a realistic goal in mind.  Now that you know your BMI, go back to your timeline and take a look at your previous weights.  When were you last happy with your weight? 

Perhaps growing up you always thought you were overweight, but as an adult you look back and realize that you really weren’t.  Try to set a goal that is something you can realistically attain.  Don’t try to be a supermodel weight.

In today’s media, it seems that everyone is very thin and that it’s more natural to have hollowed cheeks and sticks for arms and legs.  But the truth is only 2% of the population is naturally that thin.  The rest of us need to shoot for a goal that’s healthy and a little thicker.

Size vs. Weight

Weight is also not the only way to set a goal for yourself.  For many people, it’s just as important to attain a specific size.  And it’s easier to determine if you’re losing the weight you want to lose when you see how your clothes fit.

Consider setting a goal that’s related more to your size than the numbers on the scale.  Those numbers will fluctuate rapidly and don’t tell the whole story.  Your size is a better indicator of whether or not you’re having success.

You can also measure the inches on your body to determine how much you’re losing.  This is a great indicator of how well you’re doing.  The following areas should be measured when you’re keeping track of your inches:

·           Upper arm (widest part)

·           Thigh (widest part)

·           Hips

·           Waist

·           Bust/Chest

It helps to have someone else take the measurements.  Make sure they take them at the same exact spot each time.  A weekly measurement will give you a good indicator of what’s going on with your weight loss.

Keep track of your inches in your weight loss journal.  Many people enjoy entering them into a spreadsheet program where you can graph data.  This way you can literally watch your weight and size decrease.

Setting your goal weight is an important step in following the hCG diet.  It will help you to keep your focus on the program.  It will also help you determine how many cycles of the plan you need to follow.

Set Small Goals

You’ll want to have one big overall weight loss goal, but it also helps to have smaller goals for your weight loss.  For example, during the first cycle you may want to have the goal of losing 20 pounds.  You may lose more, but this is a good starting point.

If you set small goals and have success, you’ll find that it makes it much easier to keep going with the program.  It’s a snowball effect that can help you to reach the bigger goal you’ve set for yourself.

Set Goals Not Related to Weight

Then you can set goals that are not related to weight at all.  For example, you can set a goal of taking a 15-minute walk each day while you’re on the hCG diet.  This is a good way to begin the habit of exercising without overexerting yourself.

The good thing about setting a goal not related to weight loss is that you are absolutely in control of whether or not you achieve it.  Your weight is not something you are directly in control of – there are so many factors that play into it.

Here are a few goals you may want to think about adding to your list. 

I will:

·           take my hormone each day at the correct time and dose

·           follow the eating plan perfectly – no more than 500 calories each day

·           try relaxation and stretching exercises

·           write down everything you eat each day

·           weight daily

·           report my progress daily to a buddy

·           keep track of my emotions surrounding eating

·           keep up with any doctor appointments and lab work necessary

When you set goals that aren’t related to weight loss, you absolutely can attain them in spite of your body’s metabolism or cooperation.  With the hCG diet program you’ll find that setting this type of goal will help to keep you motivated.

It Takes Time

While the hCG diet is a fast weight loss program, you need to remember that big weight loss will still take patience.  You have to space out your cycles of the hCG diet.  Each time you start a new cycle you have to wait longer between cycles.

If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, it can still take a year to lose 100 pounds – even if you lose 2 pounds a day when you’re on the hormone and calorie restriction phase.  You can’t allow yourself to become discouraged.

In between cycles, you’ll still need to make sure you’re eating sensibly, exercising moderately, and getting prepared for the next cycle of the diet program.  While the hCG diet is a tried-and-true method of weight loss, it may still require you to be patient.

Reward Yourself for Reaching Goals

When you do reach goals – whether they are related to weight or not – you need to take time to celebrate your success.  With the hCG diet program, it’s not a good idea to use food as a reward, but there are many other things you can use as a reward.  For example:

·           treat yourself to a new item of clothing as you’re losing weight

·           buy a piece of jewelry you’ve been wanting

·           get a massage

·           go to a movie with a friend

·           get a manicure

·           take a mini-vacation about which you’ve been dreaming

When you allow yourself to celebrate small successes, you’ll help yourself to stay motivated to focus on the plan.  The hCG diet plan can be very restrictive, so it’s important that you give yourself credit for following it.

When you reach you final weight loss goal, you’ll have a lot to celebrate.  Start planning now for how you will celebrate that goal.  Maybe you will start saving now to buy some new wardrobe pieces, take a vacation, or take a new adventure.